Popular bathroom wipes blamed for sewer clogs

BEMUS POINT, N.Y. (AP) - Increasingly popular bathroom wipes - pre-moistened towelettes that are often advertised as flushable - are being blamed for creating clogs and backups in the nation's sewer systems.

Wastewater authorities say wipes may go down the toilet, but even many labeled flushable aren't quickly breaking down. That's costing some municipalities millions of dollars to dispatch crews to unclog pipes and pumps and to replace and upgrade machinery.